Fogo Island Foodways

Culinary expressions of nature and culture.

Food is a critical part of the language and expression of a particular community, and has a way of capturing the culture and place in one single gesture. As contemporary interpreters of Fogo Island’s history and culture, we express this Island through food. Executive Chef Jonathan Gushue and his team innovate with the Island’s produce and the abundance of fresh seafood offered by the North Atlantic.

Fogo Islanders have historically hunted, grown, foraged, and caught their food out of necessity. We carry on these traditions by foraging for berries, supporting community growers and fishers, and exploring the barrens surrounding the Inn. The Island’s subarctic landscape and maritime climate offer their share of challenges and blessings when it comes to food. While not plentiful, the Island’s soil is rich in nutrients and ideal for growing staples including potatoes, rutabaga, and onions. The culinary team pays homage to traditional storage and preservation techniques through the use of root cellars to preserve fresh and pickled foods. The kitchen also utilizes the products that historically came to us via the triangular trade routes: molasses, rum, spices, and salt from the Caribbean, tea from the Orient via England, and at Christmas, oranges from Spain.

Food at Fogo Island Inn is a cultural experience combining the best of Fogo Island’s foodways with the forward-thinking of contemporary cuisine.